Age of Music Piracy Over?

Another interesting article about online music. Now what about movies and television series?

The Age of Music Piracy Is Officially Over

• By Paul Boutin  
• November 29, 2010  |  
• 12:00 pm  |  
• Wired December 2010

Illustration: Brock Davis

Mark down the date: The age of stealing music via the Internet is officially over. It’s time for everybody to go legit. The reason: We won. And all you audiophiles and copyfighters, you know who fixed our problems? The record labels and online stores we loved to hate.

Granted, when Apple launched the iTunes Music Store in 2003 there was a lot to complain about. Tracks you bought on computer A often refused to play on gadget B, thanks to that old netizen bogeyman, digital rights management. (It’s crippleware!) My local Apple store was actually picketed by nerds in hazmat suits attempting to educate passersby on the evils of DRM.

Well played, protesters: In January 2009, Apple announced that it would remove the copyright protection wrapper from every song in its store. Today, Amazon and Walmart both sell music encoded as MP3s, which don’t even have hooks for copyright-protection locks. The battle is over, comrades.

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Watching The King and I in the Durian in Singapore

Last Friday evening, I watched the stage performance of The King and I at the Esplanade Theatre on the Bay (the Durian). I have been looking forward to watching this stage play the whole month. I have enjoyed the movie version and am now eager to watch a live stage performance. This musical is based on a true story and is also based on a novel by Margaret Landon, Anna and the King of Siam. Landon based her novel on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, a 19th century Englishwoman who became governess to the children of the King of Siam.

The musical was a Rodgers and Hammerstein's production with memorable songs like "Shall we dance?", "Hello, Young Lovers", and "I Have Dreamed." The King and I opened on Broadway on March 29. 1951, where it was shown for three years (1,246 performances). It received five Tony Awards.

In 1956, The King and I musical movie was released starring Deborah Kerr as Anna and Yul Brynner (who stared as the King on Broadway) reprising his role as the King. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards and received five. In Singapore, Anna was played by Brianna Borger and King Mongkut of Siam by Paul Nakauchi.

While enjoying the wonderful music and lyrics, the fascinating backdrops, the exciting choreography and the wonderful cast, it was the story of the King of Siam that fascinates me. Here is a man who realises that his country is in danger of being made into a protectorate by the British and tries his best to bring his country into the 'scientific' modern age. Hence he employs an English woman as a school teacher to his children. He realises that education is the key to the survival of his country and his family. Yet this also means betraying his culture and tradition by adopting a "western" approach. The clash of civilization is at times both hilarious and sad.

The King is tormented by inner struggles as he wrestled to be a good King, a good Buddhist, a good husband (to many wives) and a good father. In his struggles, his humanity comes out clearly as he struggles between compassion and duty. I cannot help but identify with him in his pride, his pain and his loss. Clearly this is a great man who struggles to be human, to be a good man in circumstances that would not allow him to be so.

Paul Nakauchi performs superbly as the KING but it is difficult to fill in the shoes left behind by Yul Brynner.

Love Above All

We have had an enjoyable evening yesterday watching Mount Carmel BP Church.'s Love Above All: The story of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot. What is impressive is that this musical is written by members of the church, based on the journals of Jim Elliot. Script was written by Chai Chir Tiang, music by Shirley Yeo and lyrics by Rev. Dr. David Wong (former senior pastor but now with Haggai Institute.

The story of the musical starts with the graduation of Jim and his four friends, climaxed in their martyrdom, and Elizabeth continuing the work to bring the Auca Indians in Ecuador to know the Lord. It will be performing in the Cultural Centre of the National Singapore University for three nights (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).

I am very impressed with the professionalism with which the whole project was handled, and by the presentation of the musical itself. The musics, singers and dance choreography was superb. I am impressed because I have been exposed to too many mediocre productions by Christians.

Somehow there is the impression that as long as you do the best, it is good enough for the Lord and for other Christians. Yet, the same people will raise to higher levels in their 'secular' jobs.

Christians, on the other hand, are more accepting of mediocrity from other Christians. They justified it by the principle of love. I wonder if it is truly love to accept mediocrity when you know it could have been done better!

My kudos to Mount Carmel BP Church and Pastor Dr Daniel Chua for showing me that Christians can stage musicals with a professionalism and expertise equivalent to the best of others.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Jim Elliot

Soli Deo Gloria

All That Matters

Cliff Richard: The 40th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1998. One of the songs sung by Cliff Richard was All That Matters. The lyrics truck a chord in me.


All That Matters

The love in you and the love in me, is all that matters
All the rest is vanity
That time will shatter
The only treasure in the life we live, is the measure of the love we give

All that matters in the end will be
The love in you and the love in me, that's all that matters

Every heart must change it's shape
To fit the space a lifetime makes
Some regrets and some mistakes
We touch happiness but we can't hold her

Feelings come and then disappear
I know the laughter, I've cried those tears
I should know better after all these years
But I'm no wiser, I'm just older

It's all a question of priority
We've got so much that we just don't need
But if it ain't got love then it's luxury
We can learn to live without it

lyrics by Paul Field

Top 25 Down Under

What they're singing in Australia

(1) Here I am to Worship

(2) Shout to the Lord

(3) Lord I lift Your Name on High

(4) How Deep the Father's Love for Us

(5) For All You've Done

(6) One Way

(7) Open the Eyes of My Heart

(8) The Power of Your Love

(9) Come, Now is the Time to Worship

(10) Above All

(11) In Christ Alone

(12) Ancient of Days

(13) I Give You My Heart

(14) Shine, Jesus, Shine

(15) Everyday

(16) The Heart of Worship

(17) What the Lord Has Done in Me

(18) There is a Redeemer

(19) Worthy is the Lamb

(20) My Redeemer Lives

(21) As the Deer

(22) The Potter's Hand

(23) Awesome God

(24) This Kingdom

(25) Hear Our Praises

CCLI list of most used lyrics

Leadership Journal Spring 2006

Christmas Day 2006

And I was reading...

I am grateful for time to do some of my favourite reading this Christmas. Finished William Shatner’s Star Trek novel. William Shatner, Star Trek’s Original Series’ Captain James Tiverias Kirk has written nine Star Trek novels! All of these novels were co-written with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. Shatner’s Star Trek stories do not correlated well with Paramount (Star Trek franchise) studio’s Star Trek series. Paramount studio kept a tight rein on all Star Trek novels so that there is consistency in the Star Trek universe.

Shatner however seems to be outside Paramount’s control because his novels move outside the Star Trek universe Bible (guidelines). One example is, not surprising, Shatner resurrected James Kirk. Another is that McCoy (who would be about 150 years old), Scotty and Spock are able to gallivant around the galaxy in a state-of-the-art starship, courtesy of Starfleet Command. Their adventures always involve Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Riker, Troi, Geordi, the crew of U.S.S Enterprise 1701E and also Admiral Janeway! There appears to be an intergenerational mix in his stories.

The book I read was Captain’s Glory, the third book of the trilogy which includes Star Trek: The Totality and Captain’s Peril. Like all Star Trek novels, it was rough and tumble with non-stop action, with new technologies developed overnight and winning against impossible odds. [ story spoiler ] In this trilogy, the universe was under attack by The Totality. In our universe, according to Spock, all matter as we know it (stars, planets, us etc) is made up of light matter. 95% of the universe is made up of dark matter. Apparently there is a malevolent intelligence in the dark matter which wants to take over and absorb the light matter i.e. us - what else is new.This dark matter is known as the Totality. Of course Kirk and his friends managed to contain and chase out this dark matter. It is a good read for die-hard Star Trek fan though the storyline is far from sound. This dark matter sounds fascinating and I look forward to finding out more about it.

And the manga I was reading is...

Yes, there is a Star Trek manga! It is published by TOKYOPOP inc, in Los Angeles in September 2006. It reads and looks like a Japanese manga. There 6 short stories in this manga. Nice stories, too. I hope this is the beginning of a new series.

And I was listening to…

This is a wonderful collection of 24 choruses and hymns remixed in the Celtic style. I find the remix very soothing and enjoyable.

Blessed Christmas to all...